1. to perform a lobotomy on (a person); to surgically sever nerve fibers in the brain
Usage: medical/historical; third person singular present or British spelling of lobotomizes
2. to make (someone) unable to think or act normally; to reduce to a state of mental incapacity
Usage: figurative; often used critically or metaphorically

Examples

• The hospital records show that the surgeon lobotomises patients as a treatment for severe mental illness.
• Critics argue that excessive television lobotomises the viewer's critical thinking abilities.
• The dystopian novel depicts a government that lobotomises dissidents to maintain control.
• Some historians view the practice of lobotomising patients as one of medicine's darkest chapters.
• The medication does not lobotomise the patient but rather helps stabilize mood swings.